Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has missed the entirety of the Dubs' preseason run after suffering an ankle injury in a pickup game a week before training camp commenced. While the Warriors are merely erring on the side of caution due to how important of a player Green is for the team, there may be more cause for concern regarding their star defender's physical status with their regular season opening night clash against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday beckoning.

According to C.J. Holmes of San Francisco Chronicle, Green, despite being able to play 3-on-3 in training, “still needs more work”, according to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. Now, that is a very vague assessment of Green's status for opening night. Even Kerr himself is still trying to figure out and “see what it means”.

Draymond Green has three days of rest remaining to try and get himself ready for opening night, a statement game against the Suns in which the Warriors will be in dire need of his contributions especially on the defensive end of the court. With Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal combining to terrorize defenses, Green's switchability and sublime reading of the game should help prop up a Warriors defense that does not have that much size to guard opposing wings.

The starting lineup the Warriors have rolled with for the majority of preseason, with Chris Paul in Green's place, may not have the size to keep up, especially if one of Paul or Stephen Curry have to take on the Bradley Beal matchup (one would think Klay Thompson would get the Booker assignment while Andrew Wiggins guard Durant). This makes Green's return imperative for the Dubs if they want to start the season off on the right foot.

If Green cannot return in time for opening night, expect the Warriors to divvy up the minutes among Gary Payton II (an elite defender), Jonathan Kuminga (providing an offensive boost), and perhaps even Dario Saric.

At the very least, Draymond Green himself said that “he's a fast healer”, so don't expect him to be out for long, if at all.